Cutting-block.



E. L. HURD.

CUTTING BLOCK. I Arruouxon rump um: 20, 1912. 4

Patented Nov. 25, 1913.

W/Z'NESSES.

d fim UNITED STATES EDWARD L. HURDv OF MILTON. MASSACHUSETTS.

PATENT OFFICE.

AssIGnoR TO UNITEDHSHOE NEW JERSEY.

To 077 uv'iom 2'1 2)) 01 concern Be t known that .l, Enwann L. Titan, a citizen of the United States. residing at Milton, in the county of Norfolk and State such as are used with knives or dies to cut.- out sheet material and 1s hereln shown as espe-' embodied in a cutting block which is cially adapted for use in a clicking machine. It will be understood, however, thatthe invention is not restricted to blocks for use in the clicking machine, or in machines but is applicable to cutting blocks in general. t i

Cutting blocks against which the knife or die cuts in severing a blank from the sheet of material to be cut up are usually made of wood-with the grain on end so that the. grain of the wood will not affect materially the direction of the cutting movement of the knife or die and so that there will not be so much likelihood of the fibers of the wood being cut through in the cutting operation. To secure a cutting block that is properly seasoned and that presents a surface of considerable area, it is obiiously'neo' essary to make a block of the foregoing description of a plurality of sections bound together. In this respect the manufacture of satisfactory cutting blocks has presented considerable difficulty.

\Vhether a cutting block be used for machine cntting'or for hand cutting, it is necessary to resurface it occasionally, since some ofthe fibers of the wood will be cut through and remove l by the cutting.operations, thus leaving the surface uneven. frequent resurfacing, block he provided with a plurality of cutting surfaces, preferably one on each end of the grain of the wood. Vhen a block of this description is turned over to present the other cutting surface after one surface has become uneven, the necessity for securely binding together the sections in order to secure proper internal support becomes I more apparent, since all parts of the'block Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed Jun e 2c. 1912.

at all,

To avoid too it is desirablethat the? CUTTING-BLOCK.

Serial No. 704,735.

other surface port; The necessity for securely bindingtogether the sections becomes also more marked as the less from the resurfacing operations.

In order to have as little metal as possible in the cutting area of the block. it has been customary in making cutting blocks to bind the sections together by metal bands or irons which pass around the outside of the block midway between its two surfaces, the bands'being made up usually of two side bars connected together by end bars, either the side bars having threaded ends passing through openings in,the end bars, or vice versa. The sidebars are usually also connected by one or more bolts passing through the block.

Blocks made up of sections bound to- An object of the invention is to improve cutting blocks of this general type to the end that the manufacture of the blocks may be facilitated, their durability increased and waste in their use substantially eliminated. One of the objections to blocks which are ironed in the usual manner is that when the block shrinks or the iron expands it is impossible to tighten up the irons so that they will bear against all four sides of the block, especially in the region of the corners. It frequently happens, therefore, that the parts of the block which are not properly pressed together check or break dowlnthus to a large extent injuring the-usefulness of the block.

An important feature of the present invention is the construction and arrangement pf the irons in such manner that they may 'le adjusted to variations of the block along two dimensions and even to unequal variations'upon the two sides or upon-the two ends of the block. In all cases the irons may be drawn upagainst their respective sides or ends throughout the whole extent of'said sides or ends.

Another important feature of the invenwill then not have opposed portions of the it has a maximum holding power, neverthes Pa tented-Xov. 1913.

resting upon the block supthickness of the block growsv less has a minimum projection outside the block.

. Another objection to cutting blocks which are ironed in the usual manner is due to the difficulties experienced in putting in the cross bolts which pass through the block.

I isapt to deviate from a straight line as it encounters differences in the grain of the wood. To avoid too great deviation and to insure definite locations for the ends of the bolt, it has been customary to bore half way through the block from each side and then if the two holes did not meet in the middle of the block to breakthrough the connection between them. To permit the bolt to pass easily through a hole made in this manner, the hole must obviously be of a diameter somewhat larger than that of the bolt. It has been found in practice that blocks ironed in thisv manner are apt to break down in the bolt holes, the blocks being especially weak where the two borings from opposite sides have been connected. The tendency to break down becomes, of course, more marked as the thickness of the block decreases by the successive resurfacing operations, and it happens frequently, therefore, that a block ironed in this manner must be discarded while there is yet considerable material left in it.

Another important feature of my invention is the provision of means for preventing the block from breaking down in the bolt holes, this means also serving to permit enlargement of the holes whereby the opera-' tien of inserting the bolts is facilitated.

Moreover the provision of the means for preventing breakingdown of the block in the bolt holes permits'the use of the block until it has become very thin from the resurfacing operations, thus, even with the increased sizeof the bolt holes, eliminating very much of the waste caused by the unsubstantial construction of blocks as they have been made up to the present time. I

In the accompai'iying drawings,-Figure 1 is a plan view of a cutting block embodying the invention; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a portion of the cutting block shown in Fig. 1 with parts shown in section to illustrate better the mode of strengthening the block in the region of the cross bolls.

The cutting block herein illustrated is made up, as usual, of a number of sections 2 of Wood arranged so that the grain of the wood is on end. The sections, which are arranged in rows extending crosswise of 'the block, are preferably so proportioned and located in said rows that they break the joints oi the adjacent rows. The block thus formed has two cutting surfaces with the grain of the wood extending substantially at right angles to said surfaces. From Fig. 2 of the drawings it will be noted that the rows of sections have interlocking engagement with each other, each section being provided upon one side with apair of shoulders 4 and 6, which cut the grain of the wood at substantially right angles and which are formed upon a protuberance, and being provided upon the other side with a similar pair of shoulders formed by a recess proportioned to receive the shouldered protuberance ofthe adjacent section. A double support is thus provided for the sections and in this respect the block is an improvement upon-that disclosed in the U. S. patent to W. R. Forsyth, No. 896,372, granted August 18, 1908, in whichthis subjeet-matter is broadly claimed.

The sections having been assembled to form a block of the required length and breadth are clamped together by a series of clamping irons 8, 10, 12 and 14 connected t threaded extension 16 which is received in an opening 18 in one end of one of the connected irons and at its other end is provided with a similar opening 18 which receives the threaded extension 16 of the other connected iron. To insure a strong clamping action of the irons upon the block and yet to avoid having the clamping nuts project much beyond the edge of the block, the openings 18 are made large enough to re ceive the cylindrical portion 20 of a shouldered clamping nut having a polygonal head 22 by which the nut may be turned upon the threaded extension 16. It will be noted that as the successive nuts are tightened up around the block, the adjustable connections at the opposite ends of each iron will act at right angles to each other and the irons will thus be forced tightly against the sides of the block and also tightly against the corners of the block.

To insure proper clamping action along the sides of a long block and especially along the sides of a thick block, it is customary to put cross bolts through the block. In the illustrated block, four of such cross bolts are provided, the side irons 10 and 14: being provided with slots 9.4 to receive the squared portion of the cross bolt beneath its'head 26 or to receive the threaded end upon which the nut 28 is turned. The nuts 28 are preferably shouldered in the same manner as the nuts at the endsof the irons, the shouldered portion preferably passing through a Washer 3() bearing against the side of the iron.

As hereinabove pointed, out, ditliculty is experienced in making the holes in the block" for the cross bolt owing to'the tendency of the boring bit to deviate from a straight line. The usual practice, therefore, to insure proper location ofthe irons about the middle of the block, is to bore into the block from each side andto make the holes considerably larger than the bolts to allow for deviation and to insure that the two borings will meet in the middle of the block with sufficient overlapping to permit the bolt to be easily driven through. These large holes and the damage to the grain of the wood caused by the frequent necessity for breaking through a connection where the two borings have deviated very much from a straight line have been a great source of weakness in blocks as hitherto constructed. According to my invention, the holes are made large enough to permit the bolt to be easily passed through the block to connect irons located at' the middleot' the block from top to bottom, and to prevent the block from breaking down in the region of the holes I provide bushings. To avoid making the hole as large as it probably would have to be made if the boring were made continuously from one side, I preferably bore into the block from 'each side'tothe middle in the usual'manner and then provide a bushing for each of these borings, these bushings being preferably driven into abuttingrel'ation to ,each other. Bolt holes formed and reinforced in this manner are shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, and in Fig. 2 the block is shown as broken away to uncover the bushings. The bushing 32 is driven in from out side of the block and the bushing 34 is driven in from the other side of the'block intoabutting relation to the bushing 32. From the foregoing description it will be noted that blocks ironed in this manner can be used until the wood is worn away nearly to the bushings and that there is no danger of the blocks breaking down either in the holes or by reason of the sections shrinking away from the side and end irons, since these irons may be drawn tightly against the block on all sides.

It will, of course, be understood that the term iron i, used in the specification and claims to designate various elements of the binding means, does not imply a limitation to iron as a material from which the binding means is to be made.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. In a cutting block comprising laterally interlocking sections, a series of binding irons, each adjustably connected at its ends o the adjacent irons, the adjustable connecions at the opposite ends of each iron being vonstrt-icted and arranged to act at right angles to each other. 7

In a cutting block, a plurality of wood sections having abutting shoulders which cut the grain-of the wood, and means for binding said sections together comprising a series of binding irons, each adjustably connected at its ends to the adjacent irons, the adjustable connections at the opposite ends of each iron being constructed and arranged to act at right angles to each other.

3. In a cutting block, sections having upper and lower abutting shoulders which cut the grain of the Wood, and means for binding said sections together comprising a series of binding irons, each adjustably connected at its ends to the adjacent irons, the adjustable connections at the opposite ends of each iron being con sti acted and arranged to act at rightangles to each other.

4. In a cutting block, a plurality of laterally interlocking sections and means for binding said sections together comprising a series of bands connected together, each of said bands being provided at one end with an opening in which it receives a threaded extension of the preceding band and being provided at its other end with a similar extension received in an opening in a succeeding band. V

5.,A cutting block comprising a plurality of sections, a series of binding irons each adjustably connected at itsends to the adjacent Irons, the adjustable connections at the opposite ends of each iron being constructed and arranged to-act at right angles to each other and comprising a threaded end upon one iron and a shouldered nut having athrcaded portion extending through an opening in the connected iron.

(L In a cutting block, a series of binding irons, each adjustably connected at its ends to tlieadjacent irons, the adjustable connec tions at the corresponding end of each iron comprisinga threaded end received in an opening in the connected iron, and a shouldered nut having a cylindrical portion eX- tending into said opening and a polygonal head overlapping said opening and by which said nut may be turned.

7. A cutting block comprising a plurality of sections of wood arranged with the grain on end, lateral binding irons, cross bolts connecting said irons and extending through openings in the block, the openings being of greater diameter than the irons, and bushings in said openings. to support the fibers of the Wood, which have been cut in forming the openings, against end thrusts in the cutting operations and to prevent the block from breaking down therein.

8. In a cutting block, a series of binding irons,each adjustably connected at its ends to the adjacent irons, the adjustable connections at the opposite ends of each iron being Constructed and arranged to act at right angles to each other, a cross bolt connecting the side irons and passing through the block, and a bushing for the opening in the block through which said cross bolt passes.

9. A cutting block comprising a plurality of sections, lateral binding irons, cross bolts connecting said irons and extending through openings in the block, and bushings in said openings to prevent the block from breaking down therein, each of said openings being provided with two bushings driven into substantially abutting relation to each other from oppositesides.

10. A cutting block comprising a plurality of sections, lateral binding irons, cross bolts connecting said irons, said block being provided with openings through which said cross bolts extend, formed by boring from each side of the block to the middle, and bushings for said openings driven into substantially abutting relation to each other from opposite sides of said block.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EDVAR-D L. HURD.

Witnesses I H. DORSEY SPENCER, HARLOW M. DAVIS.

Copies of this patentmay be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of .Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

